In Bihar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav criticized the Nitish Kumar government for the ongoing hooch tragedies and alleged corruption related to illicit liquor. He questioned the effectiveness of the state’s prohibition policy, claiming it has led to a powerful nexus between the administration and the liquor mafia. Tejashwi marked 10 years of the liquor ban, stating that the policy has failed due to this alleged corruption.
Tejashwi accused Nitish Kumar of presiding over what he called the biggest institutional corruption through prohibition. He claimed that this situation has given rise to an illegal parallel economy estimated at nearly Rs 40,000 crore. The leader highlighted that departments responsible for enforcing prohibition, like the Home Department and the Excise Department, have largely remained under the Chief Minister’s direct control, raising concerns about accountability.
Citing official data, Tejashwi mentioned that since the implementation of prohibition, over 11 lakh cases have been registered in Bihar, leading to the arrest of more than 16 lakh individuals. Additionally, more than 5 crore liters of liquor have been seized, with over 2 crore liters confiscated in the last five years alone, averaging over 11,000 liters daily.
Tejashwi argued that these figures represent only a small portion of the actual liquor consumption scale, calling them the “tip of the iceberg.” He claimed that the real daily consumption could be as high as 17 lakh liters. The RJD leader also pointed out an 18% increase in liquor seizures in 2026, indicating a rise in illegal supply despite the prohibition law.
